6.6 Liter V8

Transmission Type:

Automatic (Floor)

Miles:

18,118 (Unknown)

Location:

Charlotte, North Carolina

Now the 1978 Pontiac Trans Am is not a subtle car, but you could almost call this Canadian-built T/A a sleeper. The white paint is low-key and under the hood there's a built numbers-matching 400 making some seriously big numbers. Whatever you want to call it, this is a predator, pure and simple.

Who would have thought the Trans Am would look so good in white? Following an 8-year frame-off restoration, this is one of the nicest late-70s Trans Ams we've ever featured. Not only was it a labor of love with what appears to be a pretty substantial budget, but the goal was to create a car that looks stock but moves like nothing ever found on a showroom floor. Fit and finish are impressive with a spectacular urethane gloss to the paint, super straight bodywork, and, of course, the reproduction Trans Am decals that make these cars so iconic. Dig the door gaps, which are even all around, and the rear spoiler, which fits neatly with its neighbors on the quarter panels, not to mention the lovely urethane bumpers that show no major cracks or chips, and you have a car that wears its quality on the outside. The blacked-out taillights look especially good against the white paint, as do the grilles and headlight surrounds up front. It's pretty obvious that a lot of money went into this restoration.

The black and white interior is a rather rare option and looks spectacular with the white paint job. Familiar Trans Am buckets flank a center console, and with the fresh upholstery, it looks surgically clean inside. An engine turned panel forms the dash, into which are set nicely finished gauges that are noteworthy in that they're metric-this is a Canadian-spec Trans Am, after all. The leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel is in fine condition and you'll note that it even carries its original AM radio in the dash-another rare feature, particularly for 1978. The seats look virtually unused since the restoration was completed, and the black carpets highlight the split rear bench, which actually works more like a pair of individual buckets. The trunk wears a carpeted mat and carries a space-saver spare, as original.

We have dyno sheets for the engine, which is this car's original numbers-matching piece. In fact, many of the components are the originals, including the carburetor and distributor which have been thoroughly reworked to help boost power. How much more power? How does 383 horsepower and a towering 451 pounds of torque sound to you? The engine bay looks quite stock, from the air cleaner to the lovely ceramic-coated exhaust manifolds, and it has been properly finished in Pontiac Turquoise engine enamel. The radiator is a high-efficiency unit that looks stock, with the original available with the car (call for details). The original 3-speed automatic transmission was also rebuilt for use behind the rejuvenated engine, and the highway-friendly gears out back mean that this car will charge well into triple digit speeds before you even notice. Gorgeous white floors are the perfect backdrop for the nicely detailed chassis and custom mandrel-bent exhaust system with stainless VT mufflers. Factory Rallye II wheels carry 225/70/15 BFGoodrich T/A radials, which the owner is quick to point out are not speed rated and this car can easily exceed their abilities without even trying.